Anybody have good advice on finding a professional job in Charlotte?

[BagongBuhay]

Originally Posted by schuylercat

The best way in the door? Recruiters. The only people who speak directly to hiring managers are account executives from SMCI, Apex, Sapphire, Robert Half (ugh), Analysts International, etc. Most postings are for temp/contract work, but not all of them, and it's a way in.

Two years ago I sent (literally) 1500 resumes to postings via Monster, Dice, and directly to corporations - I got 7 phone calls, and when I finally got a job it was a recruiter cold calling because she'd seen my profile on Dice.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, this is true! Charlotte is recruiter city...only way to get in it looks like. Best bet is to accept contract positions (they pay very well, at least in finance), however, you don't get benefits. But it could prove to be your foot in the door...at least it allows you to look at the company's intranet where the real postings are. Plus you could possibly "walk" over to the HR department and network with other departments as well. Some company databases don't even allow you to post for the position that you want. They want you to register in their databases and "if a position matches, a recruiter would call you"! Yeah right! Try doing that with Carolina Medical and see if you get any calls. I had better success with Novant Health/Presbyterian. Not only do employers here want your line of work experience, they want you to have advanced degrees, and worse, industry experience.

Good luck as well!

[Glaetzer]

Originally Posted by Sunriver777

I have an MBA and tons of experience but don't know where to turn. I have posted my resume on some sites but I only hear from head hunters, not too many employers. One site even was posting jobs that they did not have and never returned phone calls, I had to call their home office.

Then I tried going to employers' site but I found I was spending hours just trying to post my resume. They all have very specific information requests, which is a waste of my time because the information is already on my resume. I guess they are just too lazy to read them.

Thanks

With all due respect, if this whiner attitude is what you bring to an interview, don't bother.

Corporate websites may seem like they are redundantly asking questions, but their HR departments are deluged with resumés and if all you're interested in doing is doing a drive-by and tossing your resumé in the pile, they will never read it.

To you, you're special. To the HR departments, you're just another mook looking for a job. Congrats on the MBA, but it means almost nothing in many hiring situations, and it certainly doesn't anoint you for anything.

Spend a few minutes looking through the job openings on that company's website. See one you like? Take your resumé (the electronic version of it), recast it to emphasize the traits and background that the company says it is looking for in a prospective hire, and upload a text version of that to the company's website. Take the required time and answer all those questions. Print out a copy of the job posting, and make sure you use the specific words in the ad, the "action verbs". Use the important jargon. The HR departments use word scanners to sift through the resumés and keep just the ones which fit the parameters they're seeking (trust me, a significant percentage of the resumés they receive have no business being considered for the job in question). You're a needle in that haystack of resumés; help yourself to stand out.

Don't disregard the headhunters. Work with several of them if you can. They don't make money unless they get you placed, and many agencies have exclusive deals with certain companies. Use the headhunters as a resource, don't view them as a nuisance, and thank God they're interested in you and want to assist you in finding a job.

If you want to get hired, you're going to have to invest the time. In case you haven't noticed, the job market is slowing down, unemployment is rising, and everyone has to hustle a little harder to get a job. If it is important to you, then do the work. If it isn't important to you, then start your own business and take the risks yourself.

[Whytewulf]

Good advice Glaetzer!

[tatiana1]

Originally Posted by The Native 1

In regards to the comment from Tatiana1. I am native to this area and I resent your comment. Let me just say this. Opportunity in Charlotte (or any other area) is what you make of it. Anyone that has the drive to get thier MBA should have no problems getting work in one of the largest banking cities in the country. As far as business goes this city is booming. Pick up a copy of The Greater Charlotte Biz and you will find a great source of contacts to start. It's ignorant comments like this that make me think if Charlotte is such a small town with little opportunity then why do so many people keep moving here?

My intention was not to offend anyone on this forum, it was just to give an honest advice for the person seeking it. Charlotte is small compared to the cities I listed in my original post. In general, the bigger the city, the bigger the opportunities for employment. The reasons people have for moving to Charlotte are many and diverse. Below could be SOME of the reasons many flock to Charlotte:

- the need to be close to family/friends
- to escape the hustle and bustle of wherever the hell they came from
- to search for cheaper rents/mortgages and shorter commute to go from A to B
- to retire
- to raise their children in a quieter area
- to go to college
- to experience living in a new part of the country
- to search for mild winters

You will also note that many of the people moving to the area are Mexicans and Asians (a short trip to Central Avenue or Eastland Mall should help you see that). The construction industry is booming in Charlotte, as well as the hotel, restaurant and retail industries. Still others move there to open their own businesses, either because they have retired (and have money) or they are young and also have money already. The rest of the people who move to Charlotte move with their companies, so they just do a transfer, instead of moving first to look for professional jobs.

In short, I'd like to say that we will all get old sooner, rather than later and it is then that the years we spent not working will hurt us. So my general advice is not to limit oneself to a certain part of the country when looking for work, no matter how charming (like Charlotte) that part of the country is. Go wherever more opportunities are available and work while you still can..

[Miker2069]

Originally Posted by Sunriver777

I have an MBA and tons of experience but don't know where to turn. I have posted my resume on some sites but I only hear from head hunters, not too many employers. One site even was posting jobs that they did not have and never returned phone calls, I had to call their home office.

Then I tried going to employers' site but I found I was spending hours just trying to post my resume. They all have very specific information requests, which is a waste of my time because the information is already on my resume. I guess they are just too lazy to read them.

Thanks

Don't be afraid of headhunters. They may be your best bet in getting a foot in the door, particularly in the banks here. Think about it, these days, the perception is headhunters help to mitigate the risk of hiring the wrong person. If you don't work out after 3 months, your contract is terminated. If you turn out to be a producer and someone on the inside can sponsor you, you can be pulled into a full-time position.

With an MBA, since you should understand business, you may entertain running your own business- an MBA should give you a good foundation and help you avoid the pitfalls many small biz owners face.

Finally a word on the banks- just do your homework. Yes Charlotte is the home of Wachovia and BoA and the perception is since it is, jobs are plentiful here as a result. These jobs seem to be call center support jobs, good work if it suits you, but not necessarily something you need 6 years of school to do. Also, the Wachovia CEO warned that 2008 is going to be *rough*. When a CEO comes out and publicly says that, that is the only clue I need (especially if I'm a Wachovia employee) to have my savings, my reserve funds, my resume polished, my contacts and referrals lined up for the *just in case* scenario of layoffs.

In the meantime, listen to a lot of Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey.